A Daily Anthem
by Cottonpaw
Summary: Lily Potter is about to start her forth year at Hogwarts, when she recieves a birthday gift that will change her life. Second Generation LP/SM
1. The Adventure Begins

**A/N: This story is a Harry Potter/Warriors fanfic, but everything from Warriors is explained, so it isn't necessary for one to read Warriors in order to understand this story. Thank you, TootsieXpop24 for being my beta reader!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Harry Potter or Warriors**

_**The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. -**__**Eden Phillpotts**_

_**Prologue**_

_Wind silently stirred the trees. The lake was calm, waves lapping at the shore monotonically. Stars dotted the sky and hung over the world like peaceful guardians. The forest was quiet._

_Moonlight flooded the stone hollow, revealing two cats padding out of a dark cave. The larger of the two, a light brown tabby she-cat, stalked to the edge of the ledge on which the cave entrance was located, while the smaller gray tom rushed to keep up._

'_Leafpool, just listen to me!' the tom hissed. The she-cat turned so abruptly, the tom bumped into her nose. 'You've got to let me go! It's the only way-' _

'_No, Jayfeather!' Leafpool nearly shouted at him. 'There's no way you'll make it alone! You're not going to be able to find your way!' Jayfeather opened his mouth to argue, but Leafpool cut him off. 'Jayfeather, how do you suppose you can do this when you can't see anything?' The tom glared unseeingly up at her._

'_Never stopped me before,' he replied quietly. Leafpool groaned and rolled her eyes._

'_But Squirrelflight made me promise-'_

'_I know what she said,' Jayfeather informed her. 'That's why I've got to go. I have to help my mother.' The two looked at each other for a long time._

'_Alright,' Leafpool said after a while. 'I guess I have no choice but to let you go,' She licked Jayfeather's ear. 'Be careful,' she said almost inaudibly._

_  
'Don't worry,' Jayfeather smirked slightly. 'I won't let you down.'_

**The Adventure Begins**

The bell tingled as I entered the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Ally. As I walked over the threshold, a wave of sounds struck me. There were so many different animals: owls, cats, rats, toads, and a variety of lizards I could not identify.

'Good afternoon, Miss Potter,' said the man behind the counter. I turned my attention away from the creatures and smiled sweetly.

'Afternoon,' I replied politely. 'Daddy's letting me get a pet for my fourteenth birthday. I think I'd like a cat.'

'Well, if you'd follow me, I'll show you all of our feline friends.' The man led me to another room lined with cages. This room held fifty or so cats, each one a different breed and colour. I looked at each one, searching for the best companion.

'C'mon, Lily!' I heard my dad call from the front door. Sighing, I peered into the last cage. There was a small gray tom inside, curled up in the back corner.

'What about this one?' I asked the store owner. He glanced at the kitten over my shoulder.

'Ah, this one is one of our newest additions,' the man informed me. 'He's a special one, he is. You see, he's blind, yet he has amazing senses of smell, hearing, and direction. Found him out in muggle London all by himself.' I turned back to the little cat, which had picked his head up and was looking at me unseeingly.

'I'll take him,' I said to the shop owner. He looked a little surprised at first, but he went to get me a cage. 'Hello,' I said to the cat. 'My name is Lily Potter. I hope we can be great friends.' The look he gave me was peculiar, almost….human. But I shrugged it off and accepted the cage from the store owner.

Outside, I sought out my dad in the crowd. I found him leaning against the wall of the shop with two rapidly melting ice cream cones.

'Hey, Lils,' He gave me with an ice cream cone and peered into the cage I was holding. 'Hey, he's a good looking cat' I rolled my eyes and led the way back to the Leaky Cauldron. We met my mum, Al, and James there and took the fireplace back to Godric's Hollow.

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Once we were home, I dashed upstairs to my room and dumped everything on my bed. Opening the cat carrier, I coaxed my little gray tom out. He cautiously sniffed the air before stepping onto my light-blue bedspread.

'There you go,' I said to him softly. He blinked at me in the same human-like manner as before and sat, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. 'Hmm, you need a name,' I told him and he seemed to be listening closely. 'Smokey?' He cocked his head to one side and I decided against that name. 'Storm? No, you're much too small for that. No offence.' He didn't seem to be offended. 'How about Fluffy? We can spell it G-H-L-A-G-H-G-H-E!'

'NO!'

I whipped my head around to face my door, but it was closed. My eyes scanned the room, but we were alone. Finally, my gaze rested on Not-Ghlaghghe. 'Did you say something?' I whispered.

'This is ridiculous!' the cat yowled. 'Ghlaghghe? Were you honestly thinking of calling me that? Because, let me tell you, I won't respond.' I gaped at the creature in front of me. 'What?'

'You-you're talking…' I didn't know what to say. _This cat is speaking _English_ to me! _

'Yeah, I do that sometimes,' he told me. 'Don't ask me why I'm talking to _you_, though; I don't normally talk to twolegs.' He froze, eyes wide. 'Great Starclan! I'm talking to a twoleg!' I wondered what a twoleg was, but dismissed the thought as another question arose.

'Well, it's not often you find a talking cat, even in the wizarding world,' I explained. He merely nodded as I continued. 'So, you obviously don't belong here, right?'

'No, I come from a forest far away from here.'

'How did you get here?'

'Walking…'

'When you couldn't see anything?' He nodded conformation. 'What could possibly compel you to do something mental like that?' It was a while before the cat answered, but when he did, he took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

'A few seasons ago, a large group of twolegs came beside the lake. We thought nothing of it; twolegs come and go all the time. These twolegs, however, did not leave. They used huge monsters to clear trees and turned the lake a different colour of brownish green. Cats became sick; Leafpool and I barely managed ourselves, caring for all the others. Finally, four cats, one from each clan, set out for help. They never came back.' He paused for a moment. 'My mother was the representative for Thunderclan.' He hung his head. 'When I left, the whole forest caught the sickness. I was the only one who could do anything. That's why I came here.'

Silence hung over the two of us for a long time. The cat still refused to look up and I thought for a moment that he would cry. I did the only thing I could do; I gathered him up into my arms like my mum used to do when I was little.

'I'm so sorry,' I whispered in his ear. I thought of how hard it must have been for him to trek across the world, blind and alone. 'What's your name?' I asked suddenly.

'Jayfeather.'


	2. So Long to the Ordinary Day

_**Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise. – **__**Alice Walker**_

That night, I introduced Jayfeather to the rest of the house; or rather, he introduced himself. Apparently, I wasn't allowed to carry him around and treat him like a helpless kit, whatever that meant. He told me he could manage on his own, and if he needed help ('which is very unlikely,') he would ask for it.

First, he sniffed around my room and the other bedrooms, though he didn't linger in James' room. Next he cautiously took the stairs one at a time down into the sitting room. There he met my brother, Albus, who was reading his copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Jayfeather sniffed Al's hand carefully, then jumped on his lap.

'Oof, hey!' Al exclaimed in surprise. Getting past the initial shock, Al relaxed and stroked the little tom's head. 'Hey there mate,' he said softly. Jayfeather purred quietly, then sneezed in Al's face, ruffling the messy mop he calls hair. Wiping the cat saliva from his face, he thrust Jayfeather into my arms. 'Bloody cat,' he muttered and picked up his book once more. Jayfeather gave me an apologetic look as I put him on the carpet.

We found James at the kitchen table, scribbling down his charms essay. _I guess he realized start of term is in four days, _I thought with a smirk. While Jayfeather was busy sniffing through the kitchen utensils, I took a seat next to my brother.

'Finally realize what day it is?' I asked in amusement. He didn't say anything, just tapped a piece of parchment off to the side. I examined it closely. 'Ah,' I replied, figuring out what it was. 'How are you going to write a good essay while chatting with your girlfriend at the same time?' James stopped and looked at my smiling face.

'Don't you have something better to do then bother me?'

'No, I finished my homework ages ago and no one's around for me to hang out with.' As soon as the words left my mouth, there was a crash of pots and pans and scrabbling claws. Both of us turned around to see Jayfeather in a heap on the floor under a large pot.

'Bloody cat,' James sighed and returned to his work. I picked up the shaking tom and cleaned up the mess he made.

'I think that's enough adventuring for one night.'

'How was James talking to his girlfriend?' Jayfeather asked once we were upstairs. 'He wasn't saying anything, and I didn't see anyone.' I set him on the bed and sat next to him.

'It's two-way parchment,' I explained. 'My uncles Ron and George invented it. You write the name of the person you want to talk to at the top, and then write them the message underneath. The writing disappears after a few minutes, perfect for passing notes in class.'

'Where is his girlfriend?'

'Her name is Keira Brooks. She's an American, Muggle born exchange student from Delaware and she's starting her seventh year at Hogwarts this term. Right now she's visiting her family, but she's coming back tomorrow.' Jayfeather nodded, but I wasn't sure if he understood completely.

'Do you have a girlfriend?' This question caught me off guard.

'Um, I'm a girl, in case you haven't noticed.' I retorted. He looked confused. 'No, I don't have a _boyfriend._' He nodded in understanding and licked one of his forepaws. 'What about you?' I asked hesitantly. 'Do you have a girlfriend? Or whatever you'd call it.'

'Medicine cats aren't allowed to have mates.' He said almost regretfully.

'Well, that's no fun.' I said in what I hoped was a sympathetic tone. 'Why did you become a medicine cat?' I asked as an afterthought. He turned his head towards me and sighed like the answer was so obvious.

'I can't fight, I can't hunt, and I can't patrol the borders. What else am I to do, take up space?'

'So you didn't ask to be a medicine cat?'

'I wanted to be a warrior, like my brother and sister, and I was apprenticed too,' he began. 'Brightheart was my mentor; one of her eyes was clawed out by a dog. Firestar supposed she could help me get past my blindness and become a warrior, but I couldn't do it. I nearly got my ears shredded in a battle with Windclan. After that, I gave up trying to be what I couldn't and became Leafpool's apprentice as medicine cat.' Jayfeather hung his head dejectedly. 'I'm quite good at it, but I'll never stop wanting to be a warrior.' When he was done, I felt like crying. _He doesn't have a very good life. Imagine being stuck with a job you don't enjoy for the rest of your life! _I stroked Jaypaw's head.

'That must be difficult,' I said softly. He shook his head as if trying to get his ears off.

'Enough of this,' he said firmly. 'I need to think of a way to find Squirrelflight and save my clan.' He started pacing the length of the bed. 'How, in the name of Starclan, am I going to do this?' he muttered to himself.

'Maybe Keira could help!' I suggested. 'She wouldn't think I'm mad if I tell her I got a talking cat for my birthday. And she's good at figuring stuff out like this.' Jayfeather gave me a doubtful look. 'Honestly, she's the best person to go to.'

'Can we trust her? I'd be putting the fate of the forest in her paws.'

'Again, she's the best person to go to.'

'Alright, I'll give it a try.'

I heard the 'pop' of someone apparating in the back garden and jumped up from my bed. Not bothering to get dressed, I dashed down the stairs.

'Keira!' I exclaimed as I entered the kitchen. The back door swung open and in came a young girl with silky black hair that hung to the middle of her back. She wasn't much taller than me, even though she was four years older, and was dressed in a light blue T-shirt and cargo pants.

'Hey, Lily!' she greeted and gave me a big hug. As soon as she let go, she was in the arms of James. I sighed, but smiled nonetheless. James and Keira were virtually inseparable.

After a few minutes, Dad stumbled into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

'What's all the bloody racket for?' he demanded, slipping his round glasses over his face. Al was behind him, doing the same.

'Nice to see you too, Harry.' Keira replied cheerfully. She hugged both him and Al. 'Where's Ginny? She's normally up and around this time of day.'

'It's seven in the morning,' Al complained.

'Fine, I'll come back later then.' Keira made her way for the door.

'Ugh, you're impossible,' Al muttered and went back upstairs. Grinning, Keira looked to Dad to answer her question.

'She had a game last night and wasn't home 'till two this morning.' He replied wearily.

'I guess I'll have to make breakfast then. Go get changed.' She dismissed us with a wave of her hand and turned to the stove. Surprised, we all trudged back up the stairs. Keira was never that awake in the morning.

Jayfeather was still trying to sleep, so I left him in my room and hurried downstairs. When I arrived in the kitchen, I found it empty, save Keira, so I seized this rare opportunity of being alone with her.

'Hey, Keira,' I started nervously. 'Can I get a favour of you?' Keira put down the plate she was carrying on the table and looked at me curiously.

'Sure, kiddo. What's up?' She took a seat and I grabbed the chair next to her.

'Um, I have this friend I met two days ago, he's new to this area, and I was wondering if-'

'Oh, do you like him?' she cut me off. 'Is he cute? Where is he from? Does your dad know? He's gonna flip. I'm so happy for you!' She gave me a one-armed hug as my cheeks grew red.

'No, no, no, it's not like that.' I said quickly. 'I don't like him, he's a friend and he needs help.'

'I'm not a physiatrist.' I glared and continued.

'His name is Jayfeather and he came from a forest a long way from here. He's a cat, and he can speak to me.' Keira was gaping by the time I finished. When she came to her senses, she looked doubtful. 'Look, if you don't believe me, come to my room tonight and I can introduce you. Well, I can introduce you now, but not to the talking Jayfeather.' It was a while before she spoke again.

'Alright, I believe you,' she said softly. We heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. As she stood and went back to the stove, I heard her mutter something along the lines of, 'It's too ridiculous to make up.'

When breakfast was over, I grabbed some milk and a strip of bacon and stole upstairs. In my room, Jayfeather was sitting up and licking his forepaw, swiping it over his ears a few times to get his fur to lie flat.

'Hi, Lily,' he said brightly.

'Good morning!' I replied. 'I brought you some food; no, it's not cat food.' I set the milk and bacon on the floor and he ate it gratefully.

'I talked to Keira,' I said quietly after some time. Jayfeather froze for a second, then jumped up next to me on the window seat.

'Did she laugh at you and call you a mouse-brain?' he asked. I shook my head.

'She said she believed me, but I'm not sure if she thinks I'm mental or not.' I told him. He didn't say anything after that. 'She's coming tonight. Do you want to meet her now? As a normal cat?' He snorted and stood.

'Lead on.'

We padded down the hall to the door at the end. Behind the door was the stairs to the attic, or what used to be the attic before Keira moved in. Before we ascended the stairs, I picked Jayfeather up, much to his dislike.

'Keira?' I called from the top of the steps.

'Come in!' I heard her respond. We found Keira sitting with James on the window seat. She smiled when she saw us. 'Hey,' she greeted us.

'Keira, I'd like you to meet Jayfeather,' I said, setting the gray tom on the small bed. He froze for a moment, then sniffed and tried to get a sense of what the room was like without moving.

'Aww, he's so cute!' exclaimed Keira. She came over to the bed and let Jayfeather sniff her hand. Accepting her, Jayfeather leaned into her hand as she scratched him behind the ear. He purred quietly. 'Hello,' she said softly. 'Jayfeather.' She said the name with a thoughtful look. 'Where did you get that name? It's very creative.'

'I've been known to have bouts of creativity now and then,' I replied, shrugging. Keira chuckled and picked Jayfeather up, cradling him in her arms. He didn't seem to mind.

'I've missed cats,' she said. 'I grew up with at least three at a time, and when I came here, I had to leave them behind.'

'Are you regretting coming here?' James asked with a smile. 'It couldn't be worth it to leave your little kitties and come live with us.' Keira smacked him in the back of the head. Jayfeather started to laugh, but covered it up with a sneeze. _Nice, _I thought, trying to hide my own laughter.

There was a knock on my door, so soft I almost didn't hear it. Slipping out of bed, I quietly turned the knob and found a pyjama-clad Keira standing in the hall. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, I closed and locked the door, glad James didn't come of age for another ten months. Keira stood in the middle of the room uncertainly. Tapping my finger three times on the edge of the dresser, I watched Jayfeather jump up onto my bed.

'Greetings, Keira,' he said, dipping his head respectfully. Keira glanced around the room with wide eyes before replying.

'Hi, Jayfeather,' she said almost inaudibly. 'This is really weird.'

'I agree.' Jayfeather blinked and gazed at Keira with unseeing eyes. 'I have to ask you a favour, but first you must swear to keep everything I say a secret.'

'I swear.' With Keira's promise, Jayfeather recounted everything he had told me two nights before. When his tale had come to a close, the room was very silent. It remained so for countless minutes, or at least, that's what it felt like.

'Will you help me save my clan, Keira?' Jayfeather asked pleadingly. Keira let out a strangled laugh.

'After a story like that? How can I refuse?' She shook her head and sighed. 'How are we going to do this?'

'No idea,' I replied. 'Well, we can't do anything now. We'll have to wait until at least the holidays.'

'Maybe 'till the end of the year.'

'How many moons are left until the end of the year?' Jayfeather asked skeptically. I had no clue what he was talking about, but Keira seemed to understand.

'About ten moons.'

'What?'Jayfeather asked incredulously. 'We can't wait ten moons! I've spent enough time traveling here, we can't waste more!'He stood up and worked his paws on the mattress. 'Squirrelflight could be dead right now, and the whole forest could be flattened!' He hissed and frustration.

'I'm sorry, Jayfeather, but we have to go to school.' I apologized. 'Besides, we can't figure anything out at the moment. If we do while we're at school, maybe we can…'

'We'd have to tell someone, or leave by ourselves, none of which we can do,' Keira pointed out. 'Unless you're willing to break the rules…'

'You spend too much time with Fred and Jacob,' I said, rolling my eyes.

'Who are they?' Jayfeather asked.

'They're my twin cousins,' I explained. 'and they're the top pranksters of the century.' Keira chuckled fondly and yawned, standing. 'Well, if I don't go back upstairs right now, I might have to bunk with you.' She hugged both me and Jayfeather. 'Night.' With that, she left.

**A/N: For more info on the Weasley family, check out ****Questions and Answers**** by little0bird (chapter 4)**

**By the way, the title for the story and the chapters are from the song A Daily Anthem by David Cook.**


	3. Hold On to Anything at All

_**When you want to win a game, you have to teach. When you lose a game, you have to learn. - **__**Tom Landry **_

The Hogwarts Express whistled loudly, drowning out the chatter filling platform 9 ¾. I hurried to drag my trunk onto the train and followed Al down the row of doors to the last compartment on the end. The Weasley/Potter/Lupin group had sat in that compartment ever since Teddy's first year twelve years ago. We also claimed the next compartment over because, at one time, there were eleven of us. I joined the compartment James, Keira, Fred, Jacob, Al, Rose, and Scorpius occupied and attempted to lift my trunk to the rack above. Just before I fell over, the weight of the trunk lifted and I was able to get it on the rack.

'Thanks,' I sighed, throwing myself on the seat next to whomever it was that helped me. Turning my head right, I saw that it was Scorpius Malfoy, the Al's best friend, and I blushed. Though I wouldn't admit it to myself, I sort of fancied Scorpius. Tearing my eyes from his, I opened the cat carrier to let Jayfeather out. He cautiously poked his head out, only to pull it back in again.

'Hey, what's the matter?' I looked through the opening.

'Who's that sitting next to you?' Jayfeather whispered quietly enough for only me to hear. I mouthed, 'It's okay,' and pulled him out, cuddling him against my chest.

'Jayfeather, I'd like you to meet Scorpius Malfoy,' I announced, thrusting the shivering gray tom onto Scorpius's lap. Jayfeather let out a hiss annoyance, but it was ignored. Scorpius stroked Jayfeather's head, but Jayfeather shrank from his hand. Scorpius frowned at me, but I just shrugged. 'He'll get used to you.' Escaping, Jayfeather went to curl up on Keira.

That night, after Jayfeather had explored every inch of Gryffindor tower, I told him all I knew about Hogwarts.

'There are actual spirits here?' Jayfeather had asked fearfully. I laughed.

'They're not going to hurt you. They are friendly ghosts! Well, most of them are.' Jayfeather didn't seem convinced. 'Maybe tomorrow I can show you around the castle, just in case you have to go somewhere by yourself. I wouldn't want you getting lost!' My attempt at changing the subject seemed to work. 'Hey, do you want to go get a snack? I know a way to the kitchens.' Jayfeather merely nodded. 'Alright, I'll see if I can get the Marauders' Map.'

'What's that?'

'It's a map of the school made by the four Marauders,' I explained as we made our way down to the common room. 'They were James Potter, my dad's dad, Sirius Black, my dad's godfather, Remus Lupin, Teddy's dad, and some other man no one likes to talk about.'

'Hey Lily, Jayfeather,' Keira greeted us from her seat in a big, squishy armchair. 'What are you to up to?'

'Oh, nothing,' I said casually. 'Hey James, you have the map?' James looked up from his book to eye me suspiciously.

'Maybe.' I rolled my eyes. 'Why, what are you scheming?'

'We're not scheming anything!' I said, exasperated. 'We were just going to get a snack!'

'Oh, alright then.' He threw me a folded piece of parchment. 'Just don't get caught. If you lose that, we'll all be in trouble including dad for giving it to us.'

'You're such a good big brother,' I heard Keira say as we opened the portrait hole. 'It's like saying, "Sure, you can play with that gun, just don't kill anyone.'

As the week progressed, I got used to my new routine. I got up, went to breakfast, went to class, lunch, class, dinner, homework, and I went to bed. Then, after about an hour of lying awake, Jayfeather and I would sneak down to the kitchens. We didn't always go down for food; it was the idea of adventure that lured us out of our beds.

Finally, the weekend came, and I was relieved. After just five days, I was tired of all the homework we had. I didn't have trouble with it; I just didn't want to do it. That Saturday morning, while I was eating breakfast with Jayfeather, Keira passed by my seat.

'Quidditch try-outs today,' she told me. That news excited me. I loved playing Quidditch.

'What's Quidditch?' Jayfeather whispered. I mouthed 'Hold on,' to him and collected my things. I didn't want to talk to him in public; people would have thought I'd gone mad.

'Quidditch,' I started, running up the stairs as fast as I could, 'is a wizarding sport.' I explained all the details of the game to him while changing into my Quidditch robes. 'Try-outs will be fun this year, because there aren't any positions open. We just get to kick their arses. So far, the team consists of Keira, who is captain and chaser, two other chasers, James and I, two beaters, Fred and Jacob, a Keeper, Rosie, and a Seeker, Al. The only reason we're holding try-outs is to "give others a chance" to get on the team, but I really don't think anyone's going to out-fly us; we've all been playing Quidditch since we were walking. Everyone except Keira, but she's a natural.' Jayfeather listened intently. He really wanted to learn as much as he could about the wizarding world.

I also wanted to know what it was like in his forest. He had explained to me what the Clans were like; he told me about what happened in clans, gatherings, the rolls of medicine cats, Starclan, and a lot more. He even told me about his family, or what was left of his family. He seemed distraught when he explained how he found out Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw weren't his real parents and the conflict between him and his littermates and one of his clan mates. To lighten things up, I had asked about his brother and sister, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. So, I got quite a bit of detail concerning those two; I felt like I knew them already.

'Hey, Lily!' I whipped around to see my roommate, Ria Hawkins, coming into the dormitory. 'Getting ready for try-outs?' I gave her an odd look, but tried to be polite and smiled.

'Yeah, they start in a few minutes.' I replied slowly. Ria never talked to me. In fact, I never had any real friends at Hogwarts outside the family. It was a rarity for me to talk to Ria, so I was a bit confused.

'Oh, well if you can wait up, we can walk together.' I stared at her, dumbfounded. _What is she playing at?_

'Why are you going to the Quidditch pitch?' Ria let out a high-pitched laugh.

'I'm going to the try-outs, silly!' She said, still laughing. Once she calmed, she told me she wanted to be a chaser. This time, I laughed.

'No offence,' I said to her, 'but I don't think you'll get far.'

'Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough.' Her confidence made me nervous. _If she does get the position, _I thought, _she'll be replacing me._ I tried not to think of the possibilities as the two of us made our way to the Quidditch pitch, Jayfeather at my heels.

'Alright, Lily. Show us what you got!' Keira's encouragement was the last thing I heard before I kicked off the ground and rose into the air. I pushed my Firebolt 08 to speed up as I neared the goal hoops. Rose was circling them like a hawk, ready to block my shots. Taking a deep breath, I zoomed toward her.

After the designated time of five minutes, I had scored 10 goals, a new personal record. Smirking slightly in victory, I watched as the other competitors tried to beat my score.

Finally, it was Ria's turn. My stomach twisted and my heart beat so loudly, I was sure everyone could hear it. I jumped as a hand landed on my shoulder.

'You seem nervous,' I heard Scorpius say. I only nodded. 'I wouldn't worry if I were you. You're a Potter.'

'Really, I had no idea,' I said sarcastically. I watched as Ria made her seventh goal.

'How much time is left?' I asked Keira nervously.

'One minute,' she said, looking at me. 'I'm sorry I have to do this, they're Neville's rules.'

'That's professor to you, Brooks,' came a voice just behind us.

'Sorry, they're _Professor Longbottom's _rules_._' Keira replied sweetly, emphasizing the man's name. I got the impression that she wasn't sorry. 'But we all know the team's gonna be the same as last year.' She glanced at her watch. 'Oh, crap.' Quickly blowing the whistle, she summoned Ria. 'How many?' she asked Al, who was counting how many goals were made. I anxiously awaited his answer. He took a long time to respond.

'Nine.' A relieved smile spread across my face and I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Ria congratulated me and started to trudge back to the castle.

'Wait, Ria,' I called hurrying to catch up. 'You did really well. Thirty more seconds and you would have beaten me!' A small smile appeared on my roommate's face.

'Yeah, I was pretty good wasn't I? Well, I knew I wouldn't beat you, you're a Potter.'

'Why does everyone say that?' I asked. 'I'm good at Quidditch because I'm a Potter?'

'Well, your dad was the best Seeker of his time, your mum played for Holyhead, and most of your family was on the house team. It would be odd if you were terrible at it.' There was a pause. 'It's a shame Scorpius doesn't play,' she observed. 'He's quite good, I've seen him.' I looked at her sideways. She saw this and blushed. 'What?'

'You like Scorpius?'

'No!' she said immediately. I gave her a look.

'Then how would you know he plays Quidditch?' She shrugged but didn't say anything.

'It's okay,' I said. 'Everyone likes someone at some point.'

'Do you fancy someone?' I shrugged. _Do I?_ I tried to think of all the guys in my year, then all my brothers' friends. 'I might. I'm not sure yet.' The truth was I didn't want to tell her who I fancied. She was about to reply when something landed on my shoulder.

'Jayfeather!' I exclaimed. He blinked and gave me an annoyed look. 'Sorry, I kind of ditched you.' I held him in my arms and stroked his head. 'Jayfeather, this is Ria Hawkins. She shares a dormitory with me.' Ria giggled and patted Jayfeather's head.

'Hello, Jayfeather.' Jayfeather purred while I walked back to Gryffindor tower with my new best friend.

_Jayfeather woke in a sunlit clearing. Branches swayed overhead and the leaves dappled the green grass with flecks of orange. Curiously looking around, Jayfeather realized he was in Starclan's hunting grounds. Excitement tingled his paws and he bounded forward to look for his warrior ancestors. _

_After a few moments, Jayfeather came across Spottedleaf speaking to an orange tabby he didn't recognize. The tom had matted fur and dull green eyes. His tail drooped and he was awfully thin._

'_I don't know what to do,' Spottedleaf was saying. 'It's not in our paws anymore. Only Jayfeather can save the forest.'_

'_But he's been gone for three seasons!' Jayfeather immediately recognized Firestar's voice. _What has become of this once magnificent cat? _Jayfeather wondered. Shaking his head, he pushed his way out into the clearing._

'_Firestar?' he asked. 'Spottedleaf?' The two cats whipped their heads to stare at the newcomer with wide eyes._

'_Jayfeather?' Spottedleaf breathed._

'_You're alive?' Firestar gasped. Jayfeather cautiously approached the pair._

'_Firestar, what's happened to you?' Jayfeather asked quietly as he took in the sight of his ragged leader. He already knew the answer._

'_It's been tough,' Firestar replied. 'But what about you? Where are you? Did you find the others? Can you bring back help? Jayfeather, we need you so much.' Firestar pressed his pelt against that of the young medicine cats. Jayfeather welcomed this._

'_I'm sorry Firestar,' he answered honestly. 'I have found twolegs who will help us, but I don't know when we'll be able to come to you. We don't even know what to do if we do find you!' Jayfeather felt like wailing like a kit. _My clan mates are dying while I live a comfortable life with Lily.

'_Please,' Firestar pleaded. 'Make your return quick. We'll be waiting for you. The clan will be very hopeful now I've had word from you.' The older warrior drew away from Jayfeather and curled up in the grass. 'I must be going. Thank you, Spottedleaf. Good Luck Jayfeather, and my Starclan guide your path.'_

'_Good bye, Firestar,' Jayfeather whispered, but Firestar had already faded into oblivion. Spottedleaf approached him then and touched her nose to his._

'_You can do this Jayfeather,' she told him. 'You're one of the three.' _

'_I am?' Jayfeather asked in astonishment. 'But, Squirrelflight isn't my mother, right? That means I'm not Firestar's kin?' He got no answer, for Spottedleaf was already gone._

'_Remember me, Jayfeather, and never lose hope…'_

Something heavy landed on my chest and I woke with a start. Whatever was on my chest was thrown onto the floor. I heard a yowl of surprise, followed by a muffled curse.

'Jayfeather?' I peered over the side of the bed to see Jayfeather sprawled on the woven rug. He was muttering something, but the only words I could make out were 'fox dung.' Apologizing, I lifted him onto the bed where he started licking an injured paw. 'Are you alright? You gave me quite a fright!'

'Yeah, yeah, listen I have to tell you something,' he whispered urgently. 'Meet me in the common room. I'll go get Keira.' Without waiting for an answer, he leaped off the bed and landed lightly on his paws before hurrying out the door. I glanced out the window at the big clock hanging over the courtyard.

'Four thirty!' I exclaimed to Jayfeather when he came down the stairs into the common room with a yawning Keira. 'Couldn't you have waited a few hours?'

'This is important!' he insisted. He proceeded to tell us a dream he had about his leader and one of his 'warrior ancestors,' and how they don't have much time left. I listened, but as he neared the end, I started to get doubtful.

'Jayfeather, I know you want to help your clan mates, but it was just a dream-'

'No!' Jayfeather cut me off with a frustrated howl. 'It wasn't just a dream! I'm a medicine cat, and part of being a medicine cat is to speak to your ancestors and follow their advice! I saw Firestar, and he looked like the last meal he ate was three sunrises ago! Cats are dying while I sit here, fully fed with a comfortable nest and kind twolegs who give me everything I need. I can't wait any longer, we have to do something!' He began to pace and I shared a meaningful glance with Keira.

'Calm down, Jayfeather,' Keira said softly. 'We're going to fix this, no matter what. How about we take the day to think of something to do about this, and tonight we can discuss some possibilities, okay? Don't let it worry you, Jayfeather. From what I can tell, your friends are tough; I think they'll be able to hold out for a while longer.' She cuddled Jayfeather in her arms. 'We're doing all we can, and so are you. Like Spottedleaf said, "Never lose hope."' Jayfeather was still shaking, but he nodded and was willingly carried back to his bed.

Five hours later, I was in line to get my permission slip checked. Today was a Hogsmeade weekend, and all the third years were excited to visit the village for the first time. I held my permission slip firmly in one hand, Jayfeather in the other, and stood between Hugo and Ria. Neville quickly scanned my slip and sent me off to the group of students waiting to leave. I searched for a group of redheads to stand with. I didn't know where I was going, so I was hoping to tag along with one of my older family members.

Once inside the village, the group immediately dispersed throughout the shops. James, Keira, Fred, and Jacob went into Zonko's joke shop, Al, Rose, and Scorpius went into Honeydukes candy shop, and Sofia, Nick, and Alex disappeared into the crowd heading for the Shrieking Shack, leaving Ria, Hugo, and I stranded in the mob of Hogwarts students moving through the busy streets. _So much for sticking with my older family members, _I thought, trying to see over all the people. Jayfeather was huddled in my cloak, not so much from the piercing wind, but from all the noise.

'You three look lost,' said an amused voice from behind us. We jumped and looked towards the source of said voice.

'Scorpius!' Hugo exclaimed. 'Don't do that, mate!' Scorpius merely chuckled and led us into the Three Broomsticks, away from the mad horde of people. We found a table in the back corner that was occupied by Al and Rose.

'Alright, you lot?' Al asked us as we sat down. 'You look like a couple of firsties who got detention with Williams.' Scorpius laughed.

'Oh, poor Jayfeather!' Rose exclaimed. 'He looks scared stiff!' I took Jayfeather out from under my cloak and set him on the table. He didn't move, just crouched where he was, eyes wide and ears erect. It was a bit humorous, but I felt bad for him.

'It's alright, Jayfeather. Nothing's going to hurt you,' I said soothingly. He flicked his ears and twitched his tail. Is smiled and shook my head, hugging him close.

'Anyone up for a butter beer?' Al asked, standing. We all nodded and he headed for the bar. Ria and Hugo followed him. Rose and Ria gave each other a meaningful look that I didn't quite understand.

'I'm going to say hi to one of my friends,' Rose said casually. 'She's sitting on the other side of the room.' She stood and went to sit with a fifth year Hufflepuff. Jayfeather jumped to the bench beside me and disappeared from sight. There was an eerie silence over the table despite the loud clamor of the pub. I stared at my hands in front of me, afraid that if I looked up, I'd meet those silvery eyes and get lost in them. We sat there for what seemed like hours, though it was probably only a few heartbeats. _They set us up! _I thought bitterly. _But does that mean he likes me too? Impossible._

'So…' Scorpius said, trying to start a conversation. I had no desire to do so. 'How do you like being a third year?'

'I don't know,' I said lamely. 'Feels the same as last year.' There was a silence again. I couldn't stand it. _I'm going to go mad sitting here! _I stood abruptly, apologizing and saying I had to visit the toilet. 'Keep an eye on Jayfeather?' Without waiting for a response, I hurried away.

_Well, that was a disaster, _I thought while trying to navigate my way through the busy room. In the lavatory, I leaned up against the wall and closed my eyes.

'Lily!' Rose burst into the empty room. 'Lily, are you alright?'

'I was just fine until you left me stranded like that!' I all but shrieked. 'How could you do that? You know I fancy him!' A question popped up in my mind. 'Does that mean he fancies me too?' I whispered. Rose shrugged.

'If he did, he wouldn't have told me, even though we're friends. If he told anyone, it would be Al. You could ask Al.'

'Don't be mental, I couldn't do that. Al would definitely tell Scorpius. And besides, Al wouldn't tell me anyway.'

'Just a suggestion.' I listened to her go over different scenarios while trying to evaluate what had just occurred. I didn't know what to do. I guessed I should just continue admiring from afar.


	4. HalfFaith Blessing

_**There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. -**____**Friedrich Nietzsche**_

Later that night, Jayfeather, Keira, and I sat in an empty classroom on the sixth floor and discussed what we had come up with regarding Jayfeather's situation.

'The only thing I came up with was to ask dad for help, or maybe Professor McGonagall, but obviously we can't do that.' I admitted. 'And, what more could they do?'

'I think we should travel to each of the forests in England and see if we can find Jayfeather's friends.' Keira suggested. 'And it will only take a few hours.'

'How is that going to take so little time?' Jayfeather asked incredulously. 'That could take several sunrises, perhaps moons!'

'Oh contraire, my little friend,' Keira said, smiling. 'I just passed my apparition test, meaning we can travel from place to place almost instantly.' I nodded thoughtfully.

'What will we do when we find it though?' I asked. 'It's not like we can magically make all their problems go away.'

'What if we asked your plant teacher if he could help us clean things up?' Jayfeather asked suddenly. Both Keira and I stared at him, surprised.

'That's a brilliant idea!' I exclaimed. 'How did you come up with it?'

'I'm not completely oblivious.' He muttered.

'Well, it's settled then.' Keira concluded, standing. 'Over the holidays, we can "go out to the mall," and we'll start our search. Then, if we find what we're looking for, we can ask Neville for advice.'

'Brilliant,' Jayfeather said. 'Now we're getting somewhere.'

Pure white snow blanketed the ground. The lake was calm and the air was still. Inside the castle, however, there was a commotion, and it all started with an announcement made by the headmistress.

'Attention students,' Professor McGonagall said one December evening before dinner. 'This New Year's Eve, we will be having a special event.' The hall went silent in anticipation. 'In celebration of the new year, we will be having a ball.' The hall filled with the excited voices of the students. 'The ball will be for all students and is strictly formal.' I heard Keira groan under her breath. She was obviously disappointed in the 'formal' part. However, I was very excited about the ball; I had never been to a ball before.

'Man, this sucks,' I heard Keira say. 'I gotta wear a dress!'

'You'll look lovely in a dress,' James told her. 'You'd look lovely in anything'

'Aren't you a bit biased?' she muttered.

'Oh!' Rose gasped. 'I haven't got anything to wear!' I nodded in agreement.

'Oh, fantastic,' Keira said. 'Now we get to go shopping.' I chuckled to myself. _She'll get over it, _I thought.

When we finished eating, I found myself in the library with an unfinished Charms essay. The room was eerily silent this Friday night; even Madam Pince was quiet. Luckily, the silence was broken by the entrance of Scorpius. He waved and sat down across from me.

'Hey,' I greeted quietly. _Wow, he looks great,_ I thought. He did look great. He was still wearing his Hogwarts uniform, but his tie hung around his neck, his shirt wasn't tucked in, his collar was open, and his hair was messed up. He was hot, and to top it all off, he had a look in his silver eyes that made me want squeal like a little girl. _No more denial, _I told myself firmly. _I fancy Scorpius Malfoy._

'What are you up to, Lils?' It took me a while to respond; I tried to get my voice to stop shaking.

'Just…. Charms essay.'

'Sounds like fun,' he replied, chuckling. 'Mind if I join you?'

'Be my guest.'

'Brilliant.' He opened his Transfiguration book and started reading. There was a silence again; not an eerie silence, but a quiet silence, if you get my drift. I tried to concentrate on my essay, but it was nearly impossible. I kept steeling glances at his beautiful face whenever I thought it was safe. Unfortunately, he caught me. Sighing, he closed his book and pushed it away. I looked up.

'Listen, Lily,' he started. There was a long pause as he took a deep breath. I held mine. 'Willyougototheballwithme?'

'Pardon?' I knew what he said, but I couldn't believe it. He took another deep breath.

'I was wondering,' he said slowly, 'if you would go to the ball with me.' I stared at him, trying not to shout. _Is this really happening?_ I wondered. _Scorpius Malfoy asking _me _to the ball? Lily Potter?_ I noticed he was waiting for a reply.

'Um, sure,' I said finally, smiling. 'Sounds like fun.'

'Great!' He was beaming. 'I'll see you later, then!' He picked up his book and left the library, a bounce in his step. I sat there staring at his vacant seat for who knows how long, until Jayfeather hopped into the chair.

'Hello!' He said, but quietly so Madam Pince didn't hear. I didn't respond, just looked at him. 'Hello? Earth to Lily?' I shook my head.

'Sorry Jayfeather. You wouldn't believe what just happened!' I couldn't wait to tell someone. 'Scorpius just asked me if I would go to the ball with him!' He cocked his head.

'That's great!' he replied. 'But what about Ria?'

_Bloody hell._


	5. Temporary 'In'sanity

**A/N: This chapter is kinda random, but I couldn't resist ******

_**He that mischief hatcheth, mischief catcheth – **__**William Camden**_

I avoided Ria for the rest of the night, which was quite difficult considering I shared a dorm with her. I got up early and was waiting in the common room for someone to eat with. Rose was the first one down.

'Rose!' I couldn't stand it anymore; I needed help. 'Rose, I need your help, I don't know what to do!' I hugged her fiercely, trying to keep myself from crying. _Why am I crying? _I asked myself, but I pushed that thought away.

'Lily, what's wrong?' Rose asked with a concerned tone.

'Scorpius, he asked me to go to the ball with him!' I wailed. She pulled away so she can look at me.

'That's great, Lily!'

'No, it's not great!' My eyes became blurry as they welled up with tears. 'I can't have a great time if I know Ria's going to hate me for stealing him from her!'

'Ria doesn't own Scorpius,' Rose pointed out. 'He's not a piece of clothing you two can fight over. He obviously likes you more than Ria, and she should accept that. You said yes?' I nodded solemnly. 'Then you are going to the ball with Scorpius and there's nothing Ria can do to stop it.'

'But what about the girl code?' I asked. 'She told me she fancies him, so I'm not allowed to go out with him.'

'But you didn't ask him, he asked you.' Without waiting for a response, she walked away and climbed through the portrait hole.

'Why does this have to be so hard?' I said to myself. Not wanting to face Ria just yet, I followed my cousin downstairs.

Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid her forever. Ten minutes after I sat down at the Gryffindor table, Ria sat across from me.

'Hey, Lily!' She said brightly. 'I didn't see you last night.'

'I had a lot of homework to do.' I lied. She frowned but didn't press the issue. Keira noticed this too, but Rose seemed to be oblivious to everything. _I curse her ability to act like nothing is wrong._ I sat silently eating my breakfast.

'Hello, Lily Flower!' _Oh no. _Fred took a seat on my left, while Jacob sat on my right.

'You seem a bit-'

'-down, so we thought-'

'-It would be absolutely spiffing-'

'-if we asked our favorite little cousin-'

'-to help us with-

'-the most hilarious-'

'-And diabolical prank-'

'-in the history-'

'-of the wizarding world!' I hated it when they did that.

'Why do you want my help?'I muttered.

'Because they're too stupid to do it themselves,' Keira said playfully. I couldn't help it; I smiled.

'We resent that!' Jacob exclaimed.

'You're just jealous because we are the masterminds of our generation!' Fred retaliated. Keira laughed.

'Masterminds?' she scoffed. 'You're joking. Dora Lupin is more of a mastermind, and she's hardly two.' I laughed. Dora, or Nymphadora, is Teddy and Victoire's daughter. She's the cutest Metamorphmagus I'd ever seen, but comparing her intellectual level to the Weasley Twins was practically suicide. Fred looked like he was going to jump across the table and pound his best friend into a bloody pulp, and I thought Jacob's face was going to be permanently frozen into a look of horror and utmost loathing. Everyone within earshot was dying of laughter.

'Is that a threat?' Jacob said darkly.

'No, it's a promise,' Keira said with a straight face. Unlike the rest of us, she didn't burst out laughing, but maintained a smirk.

'You're on, Brooks!' Fred shouted angrily. 'You and Lily against me and Jacob. Whoever comes up with the best prank and successfully carries it out by tomorrow afternoon wins.' Surprisingly, I was okay with being dragged into this.

'May the best team win,' Keira accepted calmly, shaking Fred hand. _This weekend just got a whole lot interesting, _I thought.

Within two hours, Keira and I had come up with the 'most hilarious and diabolical prank in the history of the wizarding world' times two. I was laughing before it actually happened. Fred and Jacob, however, weren't having as much luck. They spent the rest of their Saturday in a corner of the common room with a piece of parchment, a quill, and an intense look of concentration. I had to laugh.

Dinner was a different story. While we were all enjoying our meal, a tawny owl swooped into the great hall and landed next to Neville's plate. He seemed startled, but took the red envelope from the owl's leg. He stared at it, confused and afraid.

'Open it!' I heard McGonagall say urgently. He slowly undid the seal and unfolded the red parchment. As soon as it was open, Keira's voice echoed all over the hall.

NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, I CAN NO LONGER HIDE MY FEELINGS! EVER SINCE I LAID EYES ON YOU FOUR YEARS AGO, I COULD NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU! YOU ARE SMART, KIND, AND DEVILISHLY HANSOME! I KNOW MY CHANCES WITH YOU ARE SLIM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW I REALLY FEEL.

LOVE, KEIRA BROOKS

While Neville's face turned crimson, the whole hall was laughing, including the teachers. Even I cracked a smile. Keira, however, was laughing at Fred and Jacob.

'Cute,' she complimented. 'Did it really take you ten hours to come up with that?'

'What's the matter, Brooks?' Jacob sneered. 'Can't top that, can you?'

'Are you kidding?' Keira stood up. 'By the way,' she said as she was leaving, 'I've only been here for three years.' With that, she left.

'Nice going,' I told Fred and Jacob who were staring, dumbfounded, after Keira.

**Fred's POV**

I shivered in my sleep as I reached for my blanket. Not finding what I was looking for, I opened one eye.

'Greetings, Fredrick.' I barely suppressed a scream. Standing on my chest was a tiny little gray cat. _Why am I screaming? It's just a bloody cat. _I rolled my eyes and tried to push him off. 'A simple "hello" would suffice.' Jerking upright, I stared at the little creature in front of me.

'Pardon?' I asked him, though I wasn't sure why; it was a cat.

'You heard me.' It responded calmly. 'I thought I'd pay you a visit.' He sat on my chest and stared into my eyes. Well, he would have been staring if he could see; I noticed he was blind.

'Do I know you?' I asked skeptically. I was pretty sure I knew at cat like him. I shook my head. _Cat here, _I thought, _not a person. Bloody hell! I'm talking to a cat! _'I must be dreaming.'

'Quite the opposite, actually.' The cat stated. 'If you were any more awake, it would be sunhigh.'

'So I'm not asleep!' I almost shouted.

'Didn't I just say that?' The cat said, exasperated. He leaned closer to my face. 'You're not dreaming,' he whispered with an evil grin on his face, 'but perhaps this is your worst nightmare.' This time I did scream, but no one seemed to hear me. The cat stepped on my throat. 'You've got a lot to be sorry for, Weasley, starting with your own friend.'

'I'm sorry!' I wailed in spite of myself. 'I'm sorry; I'll never do it again! Please!' Then I knew no more.

**Lily's POV**

That morning was a sight to see. I was walking towards the portrait hole with Keira, James, Al, Rose, and Scorpius when Fred ran up to us.

'Keira!' he called in a strangled voice. He threw his arms around her neck and sobbed into her shoulder. 'Keira, I'm so sorry!' Keira looked at me and I tried to suppress a grin.

'What are you talking about?' she asked in a surprisingly controlled voice.

'I'm sorry for what I did!' he cried, trying to make her understand.

'Sorry for falling for the most hilarious and diabolical prank in the history of the wizarding world?' I asked him. I couldn't help myself; it was just too funny. He whipped his head up to look at me.

'What?' I laughed. He turned to see Keira and everyone else laughing as well. Jayfeather came running up to us and I picked him up.

'Greetings Fredrick,' Keira said in an uncanny imitation of Jayfeather's voice. Fred cringed.

'You evil little…' he couldn't finish his sentence as he ran back to his dorm. Jacob, who was watching the whole scene with wide eyes, followed his brother in defeat.

'Lily!' My heart fell to my stomach and I groaned inwardly. I was not looking forward to this conversation. It's been three day's since Scorpius asked me to go to the ball with him, and three days since I've spoken to Ria. 'Lily, we need to talk,' she told me firmly. She pulled me to a corner of the common room and sat me down on the floor. 'Why have you been avoiding me?'

'I'm not avoiding you,' I said quietly, thought I knew the attempt was futile; I could feel my ears burning already. She gave me an I-know-you're-lying look and I sighed. 'I've been avoiding you because I didn't want you to be mad at me.' I explained.

'Why would I be mad at you?'

'Because I'm going to the ball with the boy you fancy,' I blurted out. Ria stared at me in disbelief. 'I'm sorry.'

'He asked you?' she asked, though she already knew the answer. She fell to the floor next to me. 'Oh, I knew it was useless.' I looked at her from the corner of my eye. 'I'm not mad at you, Lily,' she insisted. 'I knew he liked you more than me.' She hugged me and returned to her dorm. 'Thanks for telling me.' She said over her shoulder.

My mood lifted considerably. _My friend doesn't hate me and I've got a hot date for next week. Nothing could possibly mess this up._

The next few days went by quickly, and all of the sudden, it was Christmas Day. I woke up to find a mound of parcels at the foot of my bed. Ria was already awake, so we started to open the presents. A received a light blue jumper with an orange L on the front from Grandmum, and a matching scarf from mum and dad. Keira got me a muggle contraption that lets me listen to music without a radio. Ria got me a book on advanced flying moves for a skilled chaser. My brothers each got me a box of Honeydukes best chocolates. Finally, I opened the last parcel, a small box wrapped carefully in gold paper. Inside was a beautiful silver necklace with a dragon-shaped pendant. The dragon was carved from an emerald, and it was holding a tiny topaz stone. There was no indication of who it was from, but I had an idea of who it could be.

'Wow, Lily, it's beautiful!' Ria exclaimed, examining the necklace. I smiled and strung it around my neck. _Best Christmas present ever._

I didn't mention the necklace to anyone, though when I saw Scorpius that morning, I smiled widely and hugged him.

'C'mon, Lily!' Ria called from the other side of the bathroom door. 'Everyone's waiting!'

'Keep your hair on, Ria! I'm coming!' I pulled the door open to see Ria in her pink, strapless ball gown. Her short brown hair was curled to frame her face; she looked really pretty. When she saw me, she smiled widely. I was wearing a light blue spaghetti strapped gown with silver trimmings and my new necklace hung to the hollow of my throat. My hair (which clashed horribly with Ria's dress) was as straight as I could manage.

'You look fantastic, Lily!' My friend shrieked. Before I could say anything, she pushed me out the door and down the stairs to the common room where everyone was waiting. I received many compliments, but I barely paid attention; my thoughts were focused on my date. He was wearing a plain black suit and his hair was combed perfectly. He smiled brightly.

'You look lovely,' he murmured as I took his arm and we headed out the portrait hole. I blushed and smiled my thanks, too nervous to speak.

It was almost exactly how I had hoped it would be. It was around half eight when we arrived at the great hall, which was lavishly decorated with streamers, balloons, and other various decorations. Tables were scattered around the edges of the dance floor and one wall was occupied by a stage complete with a drum set, electric guitars, and a microphone stand.

Scorpius asked me to dance, so I obliged as he pulled me onto the dance floor. His much larger hand was soft and warm in mine. I draped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his own arms around my waist and we awkwardly swayed to the music. However, as the night progressed, my confidence grew. I was having a grand time, jumping around with my friends while the Weird Sisters (they weren't the original Weird Sisters, but a modern version of them) played their upbeat songs, and danced with Scorpius during the slower songs.

At quarter to ten, Scorpius pulled me into the empty entrance hall. 'Are you having fun?' he asked me with a genuine smile. I nodded enthusiastically.

'Yeah, loads.' He gave me a smirk trademarked by the Malfoy family. I knew what was coming. My heart was pounding in my throat (yes, my throat) and my hands were sweating in his. He leaned closer and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't know, my moment was interrupted by a yowling cat. 'Lily, we've got to go!' I froze and my eyes grew wide. _First he ruins the moment, and then he blows his secret! _Jayfeather came dashing down the corridor towards me. Scorpius gaped at him, then at me. _This is not how I wanted him to find out, _I thought, sighing. Jayfeather jumped into my arms. 'Lily, Leafpool's dying! I've got to get back!' I couldn't say no to his face; he looked so desperate and helpless. Scorpius was still staring at us.

'I'm sorry,' I apologized. 'I'll explain later.' As if on cue, Keira burst out of the Great Hall and the three of us ran out the double doors and out into the frosty night air.

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you like it so far. To tell you the truth, I really don't know if you like it or not because I haven't been getting many reviews. So, thanks to my faithful readers! If you do like the story, please review! If you don't like it, that's too bad; I can't please everyone. There aren't many chapters left, so get your reviews in! And, as always, helpful comments and such are much appreciated ******


	6. Sing My Song

_**Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. - **__**Franklin P. Jones**_

Keira apparated us to the nearest forest; we decided the fastest way was to search all the forests in England for Jayfeather's clan. We arrived in a moonlit clearing and I set Jayfeather on the ground.

'Find anything familiar?' I asked him after he had sniffed around in the underbrush. He solemnly shook his head, so we moved onto the next forest.

We had visited seven different places when Keira started feeling the magical drain. She slumped up against a tree to rest.

'I don't think I can take too much more of this, guys,' she panted. 'It's been,' she checked her watch, 'almost two hours-'

'YES!' Jayfeather exclaimed. He ran down a slope, and we followed him. I ended up coming within three metres of falling into a star-filled lake. 'This is it! We're in Thunderclan territory! Do you see the stars reflected in the water? And across is a twoleg place and pine trees? We're here!' Sure enough, his description matched perfectly. We had finally found his home.

Without waiting for his reply, he raced back into the woods, taking what I assumed to be a familiar trail to a large stone quarry over-run by vegetation. He disappeared into a clump of bracken, leaving Keira and I to wait for his return.

**Jayfeather's POV**

I was so excited when I found Thunderclan's camp. I couldn't wait to see everyone, so I didn't even think about Lily and Keira when went through the thorn barrier.

The camp was exactly the same as it was when I had left all those moons ago, except for the stench of sickness that hung in the air like a thick fog. The first cat I came across was Brambleclaw. He was keeping watch under the High Ledge and I could tell his eyes were dull and distant from the anxiety rolling off him in waves.

'Jayfeather?' he said in disbelief when I neared him. Unable to control myself, I rushed to him, forgetting he wasn't really my father. 'Jayfeather, you came back.'

'Of course I came back!' I exclaimed. 'I couldn't just leave you all!' My initial goal came back to me. 'Where's Leafpool?' I asked.

'She's in the medicine den,' Brambleclaw explained. 'She cured everyone else but herself.' He barely finished his sentence before I bolted into the medicine den. I found Brightheart and Firestar standing over a very sick and hardly breathing Leafpool.

'Leafpool!' Brightheart and Firestar looked up at my exclamation. Before they could process who I was, I was at my mentor's side. 'Leafpool, what have you gotten yourself into?' I murmured while doing a quick scan of her nearly lifeless body. I confirmed she was alive, but that there was nothing more I could do; I had to get help. 'Get her out of the camp.' I ordered to Firestar. I could feel is eyes on me, but he didn't question me, just called out to Brambleclaw. Brightheart, however, thought I had gone mad.

'Why would you do something mouse-brained like that?' She asked, baffled. 'We can't risk moving her.' She went on and on about how dumb the idea was, but I ignored her and led the way out of the den. By now, the clearing was full of confused cats. When they saw me, there was a great commotion, but yet again, I ignored their questions and moved onward until my path was blocked and I was forced to stop.

'Jayfeather, what are you doing?' Squirrelflight asked me. I hissed in frustration at the waste of time.

'I can't help Leafpool,' I said loudly so everyone could hear, 'so I'm taking her to my friends.'

'Who are your friends?' someone asked.

'My friends are called Lily and Keira. I met them a long way from here in a twoleg place called London. They're twolegs, and they can help.' I realized that wasn't the best way to approach the subject when yowls of disproval arose.

'We can't hand our medicine cat over to a _twoleg!' _Mousefur spat the word like a curse. 'They're the ones who did this to us in the first place!'

'How do we know we can trust them?' Berrynose asked.

'_I_ trust them,' I insisted. 'They've done so many good things for me; they gave me food, a warm nest, and they cared for me. I've been living with them for many moons now; do I look abused? I wouldn't know, but I don't feel it. I feel loved. Leafpool needs someone who has the technological advancements we don't have, and quickly.' I then realized I sounded like twoleg myself, but I had stunned everyone with my words and used the opportunity to escape the camp with Brambleclaw, Firestar, and a limp Leafpool in tow.

**Lily's POV**

It seemed like ages before Jayfeather returned. He seemed happy to see his family again, but anxious all the same. I jumped up from my seat among the shrubbery when I spotted him.

'Jayfeather,' I sighed in relief. 'What's going on?' I added when I saw other cats follow him.

'Lily, Leafpool needs help,' Jayfeather replied in a strained voice. A golden cat and dark tabby cat dropped a smaller orange tabby, who I assumed was Leafpool, on the ground. They seemed very surprised when they could understand us. 'This is Firestar and Brambleclaw," he added as an afterthought. Not knowing what to do, I simply nodded. Keira lifted Leafpool into her arms.

'You poor thing,' she murmured. 'We've got to get her back. C'mon Jayfeather.'

'My clan would feel better about this situation if I joined you,' Firestar said, dipping his head.

'Fine,' Keira said, drawing her wand. 'Just hurry,' Jayfeather jumped onto my shoulder, and I opened my arms for Firestar. He seemed to hesitate, but obliged. Holding Leafpool tightly but gingerly, Keira looped her arm though mine and we were apparating home.

~XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had started to snow when we appeared in front of my house in Godric's Hollow. Jayfeather and Firestar jumped down onto the front porch as Keira pushed the door open. 'Harry!' she called to my father. There was no answer. Keira cursed loudly. 'They're probably at the Burrow.'

'I'll go get them,' Jayfeather volunteered. 'Just throw the floo powder for me. You two need to help Leafpool.'

'All right,' Keira said, 'but they're gonna freak when they see you, or hear you for that matter.' Keira threw some powder into the fireplace, exclaiming 'The Burrow,' and Jayfeather jumped into the green flames. I laid Leafpool on the soft sitting room carpet and covered her with a blanket. Keira checked her over with her wand.

'Is she going to be alright?' Firestar asked tentatively.

'I think she was poisoned,' Keira concluded. 'The water was probably contaminated. What did she use to cure the others?' Firestar shook his head.

'No one knows,' he sighed. 'Whatever it was, there wasn't enough left for herself.' Just then, Jayfeather hopped out of the fireplace followed closely by Harry and Ginny.

'Alright,' Harry said. 'Where did these talking cats come from, and why are they using the floo network.'

'I told you,' Jayfeather answered, 'I'll explain later. Right now, Leafpool needs help!' Harry eyed the figure on the floor while Keira updated him on her condition.

'She's going to need medical treatment,' my father observed.

'No duh, Sherlock,' Keira muttered. 'I'm not certified to make potions, so you're gonna have to do it.' He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, Keira right behind him. I sighed and sat next to the three helpless cats. Jayfeather curled up next to Leafpool protectively and stared with unseeing eyes at the wall. I stared at the old wooden clock in the corner; it was half eleven. _I wonder what's going on at Hogwarts._

**James's POV**

The band was great, everyone was laughing and dancing, and Keira looked absolutely beautiful; I was having a lot of fun. However, all the enjoyment of the evening was washed away when Keira and Lily disappeared. I found Scorpius in the entrance hall, staring blankly at the door.

'Where do they think they're going?' I asked him. He shook his head. 'Scorpius, are you okay?'

'He… the cat,' the boy stammered. 'talking…' I wasn't understanding what he was saying, so I led him up the marble staircase.

'Let's go see if Professor McGonagall knows what's going on,' I suggested. Scorpius didn't seem to get over whatever had spooked him when we reached the eagle statue. I hastily said the password and we stepped inside the Head Mistress's office.

'Good evening Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy,' McGonagall said when we approached her desk. 'Is there something I can help you with?'

'Yes professor,' I said tentatively. 'Erm, my girl friend and sister have disappeared.' McGonagall didn't look shocked, but raised her eyebrow. 'I think they left on their own. Do you know where they might have gone?' McGonagall shook her head.

'I don't know where they went, but I'm sure it was for a good reason.' I had no idea what that meant. _I suppose I'll have to get them back myself, _I thought as I dragged Scorpius up to the Gryffindor common room. Grabbing the spare floo powder I kept in my trunk for emergencies such as this, Scorpius and I traveled through the green flames to Godrick's Hollow.

**Lily's POV**

Mum gently poured the potion down Leafpool's throat and lifted her onto the couch. She was covered in a soft blanket, still guarded by Jayfeather and Firestar.

'Alright, Lily,' Dad said to me. 'Tell us what's going on.' I sighed, not looking forward to the conversation. I only lied to everyone. So, I explained how I found out that Jayfeather could talk to me, the problem with his clan, and how we found his home.

'We had to take Leafpool back with us,' Keira said. 'We couldn't just leave to clan to suffer.'

'I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys,' I apologized quietly. There was a brief moment of tense silence.

'You are your father's daughter,' Mum said finally. 'He always got into trouble like this.' I grinned slightly. My parents started asking questions, as did Firestar, but I wasn't really paying attention. I watched Jayfeather snuggle up to Leafpool's side, and I then knew who Jayfeather's real mother might have been.

'Where am I?' All conversation ended abruptly and all eyes turned to the cat on the couch. Leafpool tried to lift her head, but found that she couldn't

'Leafpool!' Jayfeather exclaimed joyfully. 'You're alive!'

'Jayfeather, you came back?' Leafpool said in a weak yet wondering voice. 'Where are we?'

'Where in a twoleg nest, but my friends live here.' Jayfeather said quickly. 'They're taking good care of you.' Without moving her head, Leafpool surveyed the room.

'Hello, Leafpool,' I said gently. Her eyes widened. 'Don't worry, we're friends.'

'Great Starclan,' she muttered. We all chuckled at this.

'Oh!' Keira said suddenly. 'I almost forgot!' She drew her wand and conjured up a big digital; there was ten seconds to midnight. Everyone but Leafpool and Firestar started counting down.

'Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!' We started screaming like idiots, jumping up and down hugging each other while Firestar and Leafpool stared at us uncomfortably. I might have missed half the ball, but they're reactions made up for it. I fell to the floor laughing uncontrollably.

There was a roar in the fire place as James and Scorpius stepped onto the hearth rug. There was another great commotion for the newcomers. I then made up my mind; I couldn't stop myself. I jumped up from the floor and flung myself at Scorpius, kissing him full on the mouth. It didn't last too long, but it was enough for the room to pause in its celebration.

'Bloody hell, Lily,' James said at last. We all started laughing again, except Dad; he wasn't too happy about me kissing boys already. _He'll get over it, _I thought with a smug grin.

**A/N: There's the moment we've all been waiting for! Sorry it's probably not as romantic as most of you would want, but I'm just working with the major plot here. Next chapter is gonna be the last, so please review! ******

**~Cottonpaw**


	7. It's A Daily Anthem

"_**Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye?" -**__**Author Unknown**_

I never liked goodbyes, especially if I knew I would never again see the one I'm saying goodbye to. We all went back to school with everyone else who had gone home for the holidays. I was glad to be in Hogwarts again; I had all my friends, family, and my new boyfriend to spend time with, and there were no more secrets. It was a good week.

Unfortunately the end of said week came all too quickly, and I found myself back in the forest where the cats lived. Why was I there, you might ask? Well, it wasn't a happy moment, nor was it completely depressing; it was more like bitter-sweet.

We arrived in the forest, we being me, Jayfeather, Keira, James, Scorpius, Al, and my parents (Leafpool and Firestar had already returned the week before), that Saturday afternoon. The forest was beautiful: the cold, mid-winter sun dappled the ground, turning the landscape into a mix of reds and oranges. There were a few patches of melting snow, but most of it was gone, promising a warm, fast-approaching spring.

I was sad to see Jayfeather go, but happy that he had been reunited with his clan once more. There was only one thing missing…

'Jayfeather?' a voice asked as I set him down in his forest home. He swiveled his ears toward the sound and sniffed the air. There was a rustle in the bramble bush behind me and out came a thin, orange cat with sparkling green eyes.

'Squirrelflight!' Jayfeather cried out with glee. We all watched with surprised expressions as Jayfeather was reunited with his foster-mother once more. 'Squirrelflight, I'm so glad to see you!'

'Oh, Jayfeather, I've missed you,' she murmured into his fur. Suddenly, she looked up and shrank back from the seven humans watching the two.

'Squirrelflight, these are my friends,' Jayfeather explained earnestly. Squirrelflight didn't seem to believe him, so I stepped up.

'Hello, Squirrelflight,' I said softly, bending down. 'My name is Lily.' Her eyes widened, but Jayfeather laughed.

'While you were away,' he said chuckling, 'I had an adventure of my own!' He nuzzled her again. 'C'mon, let's get back to camp.' As soon as the words left his mouth, a sad expression crossed his face. He turned to me and jumped into my arms. 'Thank you, Lily,' he whispered. 'For everything.'

'And thank you,' I replied just as quietly. 'I probably wouldn't have gotten through this year without you.' Keira came up and stroked Jayfeather's head, as did all the others, each saying they're own words of farewell. After a long while, I set him on the ground again and he padded over to stand beside his clan mate.

'Farewell, my friends,' Jayfeather said formally. 'Perhaps we shall meet again, Starclan permit it.' He dipped his head and headed towards his camp with Squirrelflight.

'Goodbye…Jayfeather…' I said softly, letting the tears I had been holding back since that morning flow freely. I felt Scorpius wrap his arm around my shoulders and I cried into his jumper, all the while watching the two cats disappear into the forest.

'He's where he belongs now,' Scorpius murmured into m y ear, stroking my hair. 'He'll be happier here.'

'I know,' I replied sadly. 'But still.'

'I know.'

I never saw Jayfeather again, but sometimes he walked in my dreams. We played and laughed together like we used to back when we first became friends, and I knew, no matter what, we would always be together.

**A/N: There you have it. ******

**Please review!**


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